Prairie Grass Roots describes how broad social changes taking place in the early twentieth century influenced one particular town, Jefferson, Iowa. Examing the three turbulent decades between the turn of the century and the New Deal, Morain looks at the impact of social change on community social structure, gender roles, the influence of the automobile,electricty,World War I, and the farm depression. A final chapter analyzes the state of the small town at the beginning of the 1930's.

Combining archival research, oral histories and local newspaper accounts, Morain revisitis Jefferson's residents perceptions of their times.